The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-17
HOW THE JURY STOOD.
THE RESULTS OF THE BALLOTS
TAKEN BY THE wINGARD JURY.


Why a Verdict of Voluntary Man
slaughter Was Brought In - What
Saved Vineyards Neck - Testimony
That Nauseated - An Expression of
Opinion as to One of the Witnesses
What the Public Thinks of the
Verdict.
Judge Adams has not get passed sentence
on Willie Wingard, nor hes he given any
intimation of when he would do so or
what penalty DE would impose upon the boy
for the killing of Edward L. Thomas. A
tell, with one of the jurymen revealed
some interesting facts concerning what
occurred in the jury room during
the eighteen hours the gentlemen were
considering their verdict. As soon as
they retired u ballot was taken and they
stood ten for conviction and two for acquit-
tai Great surprise was expressed by the
majority that any thought was given to ac-
quittal so the two gentlemen explained why
they voted as they did, giving as their rea-
son their understanding of certain points in
the evidence. They were very soon shown
that they misunderstood the evidence and
bney cOllIcSSel Jnel cITOT- lub HtAb DdIOU
showed twelve for conviction, and never
again was a moments thought given to &C
quittaL
HIS YOUTH HIS SALVATION.
What stood in the way of a quick verdict
was the degree of guilt they were to find.
Five were for murder with recommends
ton to mercy, on account of the youth OF
the defendant. Seven were for manslaugh-
ter, and thus they stood from II O'Clock
Thursday night until II o'clock Friday
morning. Then further instructions were
asked, and on returning to their room they
took another ballot and the result was four
for murder with recommendation, and
eight for voluntary manslaughter A
short while after that the latter won
over three of the former but the fourth
held out until o'clock when they all agreed.
The juror said that the only thing that kept
them from bringing in a verdict of guilty
and leaving out the recommendation, was
the fact that Vineyard was a boy. If he
had been 20 years old they would certainly
have sent him to the gallows. In the
first place they thought the killing
that that if ~ Mrs. Thomas had
left her husband there would have been no
shooting. They also felt that if they sane
toned this boys action in sitting in judg
ment on his stepfather it would be giving
boys to do likewise, and the jury did not
think that 15-year-old lads should be the
ones to judge whether their fathers should
live or die.
DISGUSTED BY THE EVIDENCE.
They were thoroughly Disguised at the
nauseating testimony given by Mrs Thomas,
and they did not think that a stronger case
was made for the boy by her in admitting
any such facts or bringing in such testimony.
There was one point upon which the
Jury was unanimous and its
unanimity was discovered without ballot
ing, and that was that they would much
rather have the boys grandfather before
them than the boy The public have been
very much interested in this case ever since
it begun and it has been the
subject Of much discussion. There is a small
element that believes the boy was justified
in the shooting, but that element is very
small The general opinion is that the jury
was very lenient with him. 1t is not under
stood how, with the testimony, that they
heard before them, they could bring in any
other verdict than that of murder. One
thing that prejudices the public mind against
Wingard is the fact that he shot Thomas
while he was asleep in his own house and in
his own bed. If Thomas had been in the
act of beating his wife when the shot was
fired no jury that could be found in Savan-
nah would have convicted him, but the de
liberate preparation, the walk to the vic
TINS house, the hunt for him and the shoot
ing while he was asleep, rob the case of all
the elements that tend to arouse sympathy.